1.   An independent authority, rather than a Cabinet appointee, supervised the vote counting, which in past elections was flagrantly manipulated.

2.   Bush, meanwhile, retreated to his ranch west of Waco late Tuesday, where he presumably can bring in potential Cabinet appointees for interviews without news media scrutiny.

3.   Bush made time in Washington to interview some potential Cabinet appointees.

4.   But confirming a Cabinet appointee, who is supposed to reflect the views of the president, as opposed to a Supreme Court justice, are fundamentally different issues.

5.   Cabinet appointees have, of course, been defeated.

6.   Dick Cheney, as evidenced through the Cabinet appointees and his role on Capitol Hill, may be the most influential yet.

7.   Gov. Christie Whitman spent only a few hours in Washington Monday, showing up at midday at the hotel where President-elect George W. Bush was interviewing prospective Cabinet appointees.

8.   He had breakfast with Fed chairman Alan Greenspan and also interviewed prospective Cabinet appointees.

9.   His Cabinet appointees are about to find out.

10.   If he gets into the presidential race, he will probably get mentioned as a possible vice-presidential choice or Cabinet appointee.